Crime as a Trend and the Thug as a Star!

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The fundamental difference we live today is that social media platforms have transformed crime from a despised behavior committed in secrecy into a live open stage, where violence and bullying become a trend that achieves fame, garners admiration, and generates money. New generations are beginning to form, viewing violence as an easy means to gain visibility.

This reality presents us with a stark contradiction: how can we condemn displays of power and bullying in the streets while some drama series celebrate images of violence and cloak crime with a false veneer of 'chivalry and heroism'? These scenes infiltrate our homes and disrupt the minds of our youth, at a time when Egyptians have never been strangers to chivalry and authentic values.

In the context of building role models, another contradiction emerges: how can we tighten the noose on school students and hold them accountable for 'torn pants' or 'strange hairstyles', while turning a blind eye to the deviant and indecent behaviors of artists and sports stars, who are the focus of millions and the subject of imitation? They should bear human responsibility and refrain from presenting these distorted models as role models for the youth.

However, the picture is not entirely bleak; on the other bright side, we see honorable examples of Egyptian youth who have demonstrated exceptional ability to master the tools of the future, occupy positions in modern technology, and efficiently deal with market challenges. They present shining examples that deserve to take center stage in the media and digital scene.

The battle to restore values is not just a confrontation between individual crime and legal punishment, but a struggle of wills between two images and models: the model of the 'TikTok thug' and the model of 'Egypt's digital youth' who embody the nation's awareness and its promising future. The real bet is to give the shining models prominence and support, and to dim the light on scenes of violence so they fall into oblivion.

These phenomena cannot be separated from their social context; despite the tremendous success of the police and security agencies in tracking crimes and apprehending their perpetrators, security alone is not enough in light of economic pressures, unemployment, and the decline of traditional socialization institutions such as schools, families, and clubs. The deviants are armed with a culture of 'private law', where the use of knives or aggressive dogs has become a means of asserting control.

The responsibility here is collective and integrative. We need art that reinforces high values, not works that undermine public taste and justify vulgarity under the guise of 'freedom of creativity'. We need a school that elevates discipline and role models to the forefront, a club that brings youth back to the fields of sports and fair competition, a religious institution that revives moral conscience, and media that contributes to shaping public opinion instead of chasing after the amplification of negative models.

Amidst these transformations, the vital role that research and social centers must play emerges, acting as a 'conscience scout' for society, to diagnose the puzzles of emerging phenomena and confront the overwhelming tide of negative behavioral transformations. We need a solid scientific approach that observes, analyzes, and proposes solutions to protect the mind of the nation and the future of its youth.